Total lactate dehydrogenase and its isozymes in serum from patients with primary carcinoma of the ovary

Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), its isozymes and alpha-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) were examined in 57 patients with primary carcinoma of the ovary and compared to those in 220 patients with benign ovarian tumor. Serum LDH, LDH-4, LDH-5 and HBD in patients with ovarian carcinoma were significantly higher than those in patients with benign ovarian tumor. Except for the percent fraction of LDH-5, LDH activity, LDH-4 activity, percent fraction of LDH-4, LDH-5 activity and HBD activity in patients with ovarian carcinoma correlated significantly with stage of disease. The positive result of ovarian carcinoma was highest at LDH-4 activity (43.6%), followed by LDH activity (42.1%), HBD activity (34.6%), LDH-5 activity (32.7%), percent fractions of LDH-4 and LDH-5 (20.0%). On the other hand, the false-positive rate in patients with benign ovarian tumor was highest at LDH activity (12.7%), followed by HBD activity (10.0%), LDH-5 activity (8.6%), percent fraction of LDH-5 (8.2%), LDH-4 activity (6.8%) and percent fraction LDH-4 (3.6%). The detection rate for early ovarian carcinoma (stages I and II) was elevated from 4.5% by HBD activity alone to 50.0% by a combination assay of LDH, LDH-4, LDH-5 and HBD, while that for advanced ovarian carcinoma (stages III and IV) was elevated from 50.0% by HBD alone to 79.4% by the combination assay.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)